§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has obtained from the Home Office particulars of the business carried on by all alien enemies who have been interned and of all who have been excused internment by the Advisory Committee; what is the number of such cases; and how many have been wound up under the provisions of the Trading With the Enemy (Amendment) Act, 1916?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe Board have been supplied with lists of enemy subjects who had been engaged in business and who had been either interned or exempted from internment. The number of the interned list was 423, while the number on the exempted list was 295. In regard to the former, 32 orders to wind-up the business have been made, and in regard to the latter 19 such orders have been made. I should at the same time point out that upon investigation of the cases set out in the lists it was found that the winding-up provisions of the Act were not in a great many instances applicable, on the following grounds:—
- (1) the business was no longer being carried on;
- (2) the business was of trifling importance and, therefore, not within the policy of the Act;
- (3) the enemy subject was in partner ship and having a minority interest with a British or non-enemy subject;
- (4) the enemy subject was a friendly alien;
- (5) the enemy subject was merely an employé in the business.